Sil
Sil is (was) a Lieutenant Commander in the Imperial_Navy of The_Original_Empire. Sil is a Calliatian, and is fiercely loyal to the bloodline of The Original Empire, which he believes to be divinely ordained to rule the Way Galaxy. Sil is also very loyal to Captain Marks, a half-Calliatian, with whom he has served, periodically, for over 700 years. Sil implicitly trusts Marks' ability at diplomacy and social manipulation, while Marks implicitly trusts Sil's tactical ability and resolve in combat. Sil has served as Senior Combat_Pilot aboard 4 ships under Marks' command. Sil is well-known in Imperial circles, as well as many organizations and individuals outside of the Empire, as a ruthless tactician who rarely shows mercy unless specifically ordered to do so. Sil's tactical abilities are highly valued by Marks, who also perceives Sil's single-minded and ruthless attitude as detrimental to the establishment of a successful independent society, which is Marks' immediate goal. Sil's most loyal subordinate is Lieutenant Kir, a Bresa who is essentially a "Marine" within the structure of the Imperial Navy. Sil and Kir both respect each others' resolve in combat situations, and their unswerving, narrow-minded commitment to the task at hand is a constant source of frustration for the more diplomatic Captain Marks. Sil's second most-trusted subordinate is his Security Officer, Lina. Sil was born into the house of Emerald Viscount, servant of the Imperial Household. Sil's father was a commanding officer in the Imperial Navy, and died in combat when Sil was 25 years old. Sil subsequently joined the Imperial Navy at the age of 29, and was one of the Empire's most valued Combat Pilots. In the present day, Sil holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander, and has been serving in the Imperial Navy for approximately 800 years. Sil has never been married, has never been in a serious romantic relationship, and has no known children... as far as most people know. Calliatian mythology asserts that Sil is the "Holder of The Bar", a mythical artifact from deep in the pre-Imperial past of the Calliatians. ------------- A major side-story/side-plot in the Occupied Earth constructed world is Sil's hidden history, which few people -- and None of the primary characters -- know about. What those characters do not know is that Sil's ruthless, almost autistic demeanor is not a genetic characteristic with which he was born. Rather, it is the result of mental and emotional trauma which occurred approximately in the year 1450, on the standard Earth Calendar. At that time, Sil was forced to witness the torture and death of his wife and 8-year-old daughter, at the hands of the Geree, a "splinter" species, which declared its separation from the Empire approximately in the year 1412. Sil was part of a team sent to negotiate a peaceful solution with the Geree. Although no hostilities were anticipated, the Geree quickly turned militant. Shortly after the death of his wife and daughter, Sil was rescued by Imperial forces, after which Sil immediately ordered the genocide of the Geree species. This order resulted in a practically instant, almost completely-successful execution. Within 17 hours of the issuance of Sil's order, only an estimated 12,000 Geree were still alive, out of a population of over 5 Billion. Sil harbors no resentment, bigotry, or hatred for any other species, but he will kill any Geree that he sees, immediately, on sight. Whether the target is Geree or another species, Sil is well known for his habit of killing without hesitation, with an expressionless look on his face. Although Marks does not know about the torture and death of Sil's wife and child, Marks has guessed that Sil has suffered major mental/emotional in the past, and Marks has asked Sil if he feels any emotion. Sil's reply was an expressionless "Yes... Of Course." Marks then said, "Well, Sil... you certainly don't show it." Sil's response was, "That Is Because I Choose Not To." Marks has also asked Sil, in the past, "Why do you hate the Geree so much?" Sil's reply was, "You really don't want to know the answer to that question, and I am too ashamed to answer it." It is a common satirical statement, among those in the Imperial Navy who know Sil... "If you order Sil to kill someone, that person will be dead before you can finish issuing the order." Sil's personality, as altered by his distressed mental and emotional state, manifests itself as completely honest, "black-and-white", and totally free of any hesitation or self-doubt. Any concepts of Mercy and Regret are completely absent from Sil's Psyche. Although unproven and unsubstantiated, there are rumors which occasionally circulate, which state and/or imply that Sil is a student of the ancient Calliatian art of "Tynwallusk," a Calliatian expression which roughly translates as "Supernatural." It is rumored that Calliatians which studied and practiced this art were able to perform various acts which would be perceived by Humans as Telekinesis, Telepathy, Super-empathy, Communication with animals, and other such abilities. One event which was witnessed by many people is the occurrence where Sil apparently communicated directly with Lina, after which Sil announced to several witnesses that Lina had told him her "True" name. Lina later made the comment, "T.S. Eliot got it right. All Coreate DO have a name which is only known among the members of our own species, and the very few others to whom we choose to reveal our true names."